Most drivers have been impacted by traffic delays. Traffic delays are caused by one or more traffic incidents, such as congestion, construction, an accident, a special event (e.g., concerts, sporting events, festivals), a weather condition (e.g., rain, snow, tornado), and so on. Many television stations provide a traffic report in their news reports to provide viewers with information regarding current traffic conditions. Some television stations use graphics when presenting traffic information.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,326, which is assigned to the same assignee of the present application, describes how a television station can display a traffic flow map that visually shows an animated graphic of the traffic conditions on one or more roadways in and around a metropolitan area. The traffic flow map is automatically generated from real or near real time traffic flow data, and continually changes as the actual, current traffic conditions change.
The television station may provide different views of the animated traffic flow. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0247850, which is assigned to the same assignee of the present application, describes three different views: a two-dimensional (2D) overhead map, a Skyview map, and a three-dimensional (3D) fly-through map. The 2D overhead map depicts traffic conditions from the perspective of a viewer looking down at a map. The Skyview map is a 3D representation that includes buildings, terrain, and other landmarks. Similar to the 2D overhead map, the Skyview map depicts traffic conditions from the perspective of a viewer looking down at a map. The 3D fly-through map is a dynamic presentation of a 3D world detailing traffic conditions along a selected roadway or series of roadways.
While these views allow a user to more easily comprehend the current traffic conditions, there continues to be room for new features and improvements in providing traffic reports. One area for improvement is providing a traffic view that allows the viewer to “experience” the traffic. By providing a first person perspective from the inside of a vehicle, viewers of the traffic report may comprehend the current traffic conditions more easily.